John Terzian, cofounder of The h.wood Group, is the visionary mind behind some of Los Angeles’ hottest, most exclusive restaurants, clubs, and bars – including Bootsy Bellows, SHOREbar, Blind Dragon, The Nice Guy, 40 Love, Mason and The Peppermint Club and with a thriving events business attracting A-list celebrities like Katy Perry, Leonardo DiCaprio, and Drake amongst many. Terzian’s knack for hosting events started at a young age, but it took years of near-hits and total misses to build a successful lifestyle brand with his business partner Brian Toll.
Photos Courtesy of The h.wood Group
Today, The h.wood Group has vastly expanded their nightlife portfolio with growing list of venues in Los Angeles, Chicago, Dallas, Scottsdale, and Aspen with exceeding revenues of over $35 million.
In our exclusive interview, John Terzian shares with us the latest developments with The h.wood Group and what it took to build successful venues.
Q: How did your company get so closely involved with the entertainment business?
This is mostly because my partner, Brian Toll and I, both grew up in Los Angeles and happened to be around the entertainment business our whole lives. I developed a good sense of how to handle creatives in the entertainment business.
Q: What are some lessons you have learned along the way?
Two of the most essential things:
1. You cannot ever buy a reputation: Be good to all and stay loyal.
2. Never get too high with the highs or low with the lows.
Q: What do you think has contributed to your success?
My friends and family.
Q: Which one is your favorite venue and why?
SHOREbar. I believe it was the venue that gave me the confidence to continue and really build The h.wood Group.
Q: You also have an event division with your company, any memorable event(s) you would like to share with us?
Our events division has grown tremendously. I am most excited about the fact that I often can combine our event skills with good causes. I recently threw an event for the charity, Imagine LA, and was fortunate enough to have Serena Williams speak as well as Dave Chappelle and Chris Rock do surprise performances.
Q: Are you hosting any festive events for the holidays we should know about?
I will be hosting a personal NYE event.
Q: What can you share that is next for The h.wood Group in 2019?
We have a lot of exciting things coming up, which include but are not limited to Alice Kitchen (our marketplace/restaurant), Bootsy Bellows Dallas, and Mason (our American classic restaurant concept opening in Santa Monica and San Francisco). On our events side, we are gearing up to do some exciting things with AMAs and Billboards in 2019.